Leonard h



Aug. 17, 1948*. ||.'laN- :s|.uN: A 2,447,241

CLEAHSING AND vSGOURIHG PADANI) IIETHOD Fned'sept. 1s, 194s INVEN TOR.

l mr I Patented Aug. 17, 1948 UNITED STAT as4 PATENT oFFlcE.-

cLEANsING AND scoUmNG PAD AND l METHOD Leonard H.' Englund, Chicago,Ill.. assignor to James H. Rhodes & Company, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation of Illinois Application September 13, 1943, Serial No.502,121

6 Claims. (Cl. 15-209) pads, andthe provision of such'a pad is aprincipal object of Athe invention.

More specically, it is an object of the invention to provide a cleansingand scouring pad.

made of a water-resistant material which constitutes a core for the padcovered by a plastic composition which acts as an adhesive 'and containsa surface active detergent agent, and a binder material which is a rustinhibitor for a covering of' steel wool for the core and which-also is ameans for obtaining optimum pH of water on surfaces being cleansed.

The invention accordingly comprises the several steps and the relationof one or more of such steps with respect to each of the others, and thearticle possessing the features, properties, and the relation ofelements, which are exemplified in the following detailed disclosure',and the-scope of the application of whichwill be indicated in theclaims.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the inventionreference should 'be had 'to the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 isa diagrammatic illustration of a suitable form of apparatus forpracticing the present invention; l

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1 andlooking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a cleansing and scouring pad made inaccordance with the principles of the present invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there ls indicated at I0 arotating mandrel mounted upon a standard I I. tape I2 coming-off amillroll I3 on areel or spool I4' is spirally woundvaround the mandrel.This tape may consist of any suitable material such as. for example,paper, cotton or similar material, either felted or woven. Such amaterial can be made water-resistant by a suitable chemical agent, suchas, by means of a polyvinyl alcohol or derivatives thereof.

A water-resistantl Disposed underneath the mandrel I0 is a tank I5containing a bath ofheated plastic composition I6. An applicator rollerI1 rotates in the plastic composition and is wiped by a conventionaldoctor blade Il. The adjustment of the doctor blade will regulate theamount of plastic composition which is applied to the spirally wound webI2 at this point on the mandrel.

The plastic composition I6 essentially preferably contalns a surfaceactive detergent agent,

such as an alkyl aryl vsulfonate, which causesV formation of a cleansinglather. Another essential material is a binder which preferably is arust inhibitor and which has the characteristic of obtaining an optimumpH-of water solution on surfaces to be cleansed by the ultimatelyfinished pad when in use and which will maintain a pH range in the watersolution on the alkaline side. The exact pHwill be determined, ofcourse, by the conditions under which a pad is used, such as. Itheamount of water, the temperature, the hardness of water, etc. Apreferred binding agent of this character is sodium silicate. A scouringagent may also be employed in the nature of pumice stone. A supplementalbinding agent may be used which has the characteristic ofretardingtoorapid or undesirable dissolution of the surface activedetergent agent. Cooked starchpaste can satisfactorily be used as sucha. supplemental binding. The starch will also act as a thickening agentand provides desirable viscosity and consistency 4to the mass of plasticcomposition in its application tothe spirally wound web.

After va desiredamount of the plastic composition has been applied tothe spirally wound web l2 4on the mandrel, a fibrous web of material I9,

preferably steel or other. `metallic wool, running ofi' another millroll 20 on a reel or spool 2l, is oppositely diagonally wound on themillroll overlyingl the spirally wound tape containing the plasticcomposition. The spirally wound tape acts as a member for retaining andreinforcing theiibrous web of steel wool as well as functionlng as ameans for receiving the plastic composition and in this manner the steelwool is bound to the "tape `which becomes a core.

As the combined spirally wound web ls formed and leaves the end of themandrel, it is gathered and iiattened between counteracting nip rollersIl. The attened combined web passes over a shear plate Il where areciprocating shear knife 24 cuts the web into suitable lengths 25 toform cleansing and scouring pads ready for packaging. Buch a pad nowconsists of a water-resistant material forminga core 2l and a metallicwool outer covering 21 combined with the core by means of a plasticcomposition 2l.

With' respect Ato the plastic composition, it

should be noted that an optimum amount of the surface active detergentagent lcontained therein consists in using approximately two and onehalftimes the weight of such material as compared with the weight of thesteel wool. However, a minimum amount vof each of these materialswouldfconsis't. of approximately equal parts by weight.

A cleansing and scouring pad when `made by the present method providesanarticle which is well suited to the purposes for which it is intended.Buch a pad- V possesses many advantages. For example, when in use theplastic composition provides scouring and cleansing agents in con-Junction with the steel wool. The pumice stone, if used, augmenta thescouring action of the steel detergent to said tube as it is beingadvanced in said direction, securing an outer layer of metallic wool tosaidv adhesive covered tubevas it is being advanced and simultaneouslytherewith advancing said layer of metallic wool, and cutting saidmetallic wool covered* tube into suitable lengths.

3. An article of the character described, which comprises a householdcleansing and` scouring pad constituting a spirally wound sheet offlexible water-resistant fibrous material secured together by anadhesive to provide a tubular core for said pad opened at both ends,said adhesive containing a surface Iactive detergent agent,"whichadhesive provides a layer of substantial thickness surrounding the outersurface of said core, and a layer of felted'metallic wool surroundingsaid core and secured thereto bysaid adhesive in which a substantialportion of the strands of said wool are embedded, said pad being capableofrepeated use y because o'f the water-resistivity of said core and wooland the pH obtained by the binding material, plus the surface activedetergent agent, aids in lending ideal cleansing properties tothe pad.The steel wool is also prevented from crumbling because the fibers areheld in positionv by the water soaps which in conventional pads gumupthe steel wool.

' It will thus be seenthat'the oblects hereinbefore set forth. mayreadily and emciently be attained, and since certain changes in carryingout the above method, and certain modifications inthe article whichembody the invention may be made withoutvdeparting from its scope, it'is :intended that all matter contained in the above l description orshown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

It is also to' be understood that tne'feuewmg .claims are intendedtocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindeinvention which'. as a `matter of language, might be, said to falltherebetween.' A

Particularly, it is to be understood tnetinsaid claims,`ingredients o rcompoundsrecitedin the singular are intended to include compatiblemixtures of such ingredients wherever the sense per- Having deseribedmyinvention. what I eleim .u new and searezesecuresyreners resent n:

1. A method `,of manufacturing cleansing and'scouringpadawhichcomprisesformingawebof water-resistentv material intoa' continuous tube,

the binding effect lof saidadhesive upon said wool whereby the latterresists disintegration during use.

4. An article of the character described, which comprises ahouseholdcleansing and scouring Spad constituting a spirally wound sheet ofilexible water-resistant fibrous material secured together by anadhesive to provide a tubular core for said pad `opened at both ends,saidadhesive containing a surface active detergent agent and asupplemental binding agent consisting of starch whereby to retard rapiddissolution of said surface active detergent, which adhesive 4provides alayer of substantial thickness surrounding the outer surface of saidcore, 'and a layer: of intertwined strands of metallic wool surroundingsaid core and secured thereto by said-.adhesive in which a substantialportion of 'the strands of said wool are embedded, said pad beingcapable of repeated use because of the water-resistivity of said coreandthe binding eifect'of, said adhesive upon said wool whereby thelatter resists disintegration dur- V ible water-resistant fibrousmaterial secured together by an adhesive to provide a tubular corescribed. and all statements.v of the scope of the v for said pad openedat both ends, said' adhesive con-taining a surface active detergentagent, which adhesive provides a layer ofsubstantial thicknesssurrounding the outer surface of said core, af

spirally wound web of felted steel wool surroundingv said core andsecured' thereto by said adhesive in -which a substantial portion ofthestrands Yof said wool are embedded, said pad being capable of repeateduse because of the water-resistivity of said corerand the bindinge'ect-oi' -said'addisintegration during use. 6. .An article ofthecharacter described, which hesive 4upon said wool whereby thelatterresists Y l comprises a household cleansing andv scouring pacilapplying a piasticcomposition containing a surof witten-resistantmaterial'. intoa continuous` 4tube, advancing said tube in thev ydirection of itslongitudinal axis, applying an constituting a'spirallywound sheetfof flexible water-resistant'ilbrous material secured toprovide-a tubularcore forV said Dad opened atboth ends, said adhesivecomprising an` adhesive active detergent agent and a supplementalbinding agent consisting of starch whereby to retard rapid dissolutionof said surface active detergent, which L adhesive provides a layer ofsubstantial thickness surrounding the outer surface of s aidcore, and aspirallywound web of intertwined strands of steel wool surrounding saidcore and secured thereto adhesive a surface active 7,5 by laid adhesivein'whih wbetntll Portion 0f '5 I the strands of said lwool are embedded,said pad being capable of repeated use becauseA of the water-resistivityo! vsaid core and the binding elect of said adhesive upon saidA woolwhereby the latter resists disintegration during use.

. LEONARD H. ENGILUND.v

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of` record in the ille ofthis patent:

4UNl'llED STATES PATENTS Name Date Number Greenfield June 21, 1892Number Tully Jan. 12, 1943

